The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Intersport, FOX Sports announce major annual Volleyball Showcase beginning Labor Day Weekend 2024
12.14.2023 | Volleyball
Minnesota, Stanford, Texas and Wisconsin to participate in inaugural event airing on FOX & FS1 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on Sept. 1-2.
MILWAUKEE, Wis. (December 14, 2023) – Intersport and FOX Sports announced a partnership to bring prominent women's volleyball programs to a national television audience on FOX and FS1 during Labor Day Weekend when Minnesota, Stanford, Texas and Wisconsin meet for an early season showcase event, which will be staged at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wis.
The inaugural showcase will be contested Sept. 1-2, 2024, with Wisconsin facing Texas and Stanford taking on Minnesota on Sept. 1. Matchups the following day will feature Wisconsin-Stanford and Texas-Minnesota. Two of the four games will be broadcast on FOX while two will be televised on FS1.
The 2024 event was made possible with the support of the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA), which was instrumental in helping bring the concept to the nation's top coaches. Many have expressed interest in playing in future editions of the event, which will be staged in volleyball hotbeds around the country in the years to come.
"There is an obvious growing appetite for the sport of volleyball, evidenced by roaring attendance numbers and record-breaking television ratings. It will be an incredible sight to help further amplify the sport with an elite early season showcase on network television," said Mark Starsiak, vice president at Intersport. "We're fortunate to have a great partner in FOX Sports, four immensely talented programs with passionate fan bases, a world-class host venue in Fiserv Forum and the support of the American Volleyball Coaches Association to carve an incredible foundation for this event that we envision as a staple on the college volleyball calendar for years to come."
These programs have established themselves as the class of women's volleyball over the years, combining for 13 national championships, 17 runner-up finishes and 48 Final Four appearances. The teams have combined to win four of the last five national championships and at least one of the four programs has appeared in the Final Four annually since 2012.
Stanford, Texas and Wisconsin were three of the final eight remaining teams in the NCAA Tournament this season. The Longhorns defeated the Cardinal to set up a national semifinal matchup against the Badgers on Thursday, where the winner will compete for the NCAA Championship this Sunday afternoon.
Earlier this year, FOX Sports made history when it aired a regular season women's college volleyball game on network television for the first time in the sport's history. The telecast featured a pair of games, including a matchup between Wisconsin-Minnesota, that delivered a college volleyball record 1.659 million viewers on FOX.
"FOX Sports is dedicated to the elevation of women's athletics and is thrilled to expand our collegiate volleyball slate alongside our partners at the Big Ten and other NCAA member institutions," said Jordan Bazant, Executive Vice President, FOX Sports. "We are committed to exceptional game production, top-notch announcers and premier timeslots for these highly anticipated women's matchups across the FOX family of networks."
"The AVCA is excited to assist Intersport and FOX Sports establish a marquee event for volleyball," said Dr. Jaime Gordon, CEO of the AVCA. "These organizations recognize the value the sport has to offer and are dedicated to producing a first-class event next fall and for years to come. Our coaches are committed to the vision of what this event will become and remain devoted to the growth and integrity of our sport."
Fiserv Forum is no stranger to hosting high-profile volleyball matchups. This season, Wisconsin faced Marquette at the downtown Milwaukee Arena in front of an indoor volleyball record 17,037 fans on Sept. 13. The previous record was held by Wisconsin when 16,833 fans watched the Badgers host Wisconsin at the Kohl Center on Sept. 16, 2022.
"Women's volleyball is soaring in popularity, and we're excited to host such a major event at Fiserv Forum," said Kate Dordick, Senior Vice President of Booking of Fiserv Forum. "We are continually working to bring a wide variety of events to Milwaukee, and are thrilled volleyball is returning to Fiserv Forum."
Additional details regarding the inaugural event, including sponsors, match times, ticket information and more will be available at a later date. Fans interested in receiving email alerts regarding these updates can register at www.fiservforum.com/events/detail/volleyball. Ensuing years of the event will feature different teams participating in different venues across the country and will be announced at the appropriate time.
About Intersport
Intersport is an award-winning agency and leader in the creation of ideas, content and experiences that attract and engage passionate audiences. Its industry-leading team offers expert insights in content marketing, customer engagement, experiential marketing, hospitality, production and sponsorship consulting. The Chicago-based agency also owns and operates events across the professional and collegiate sports landscape, including basketball, football, golf, pickleball and volleyball. Intersport has been headquartered in Chicago since its inception in 1985, with additional offices in Boston, Detroit and New York. Learn more at www.intersport.global and on social media (LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook).
About FOX Sports
FOX Sports is the umbrella entity representing FOX Corporation's wide array of multi-platform US-based sports assets. Built with brands capable of reaching more than 100 million viewers in a single weekend, the business has ownership and interests in linear television networks, digital and mobile programming, broadband platforms, multiple web sites, joint-venture businesses and several licensing relationships. FOX Sports includes the sports television arm of the FOX Network; FS1, FS2, FOX Soccer Plus and FOX Deportes. FOX Sports' digital properties include FOXSports.com and the FOX Sports App, which provides live streaming video of FOX Sports content, instant scores, stats and alerts to iOS and Android devices. Additionally, FOX Sports and social broadcasting platform, Caffeine jointly own Caffeine Studios which creates exclusive eSports, sports and live entertainment content. Also included in FOX Sports' portfolio are FOX's interests in joint-venture business Big Ten Network, and a licensing agreement that established the FOX Sports Radio Network.
About Fiserv Forum
Fiserv Forum is a preeminent sports and entertainment arena in downtown Milwaukee that opened on Aug. 26, 2018. Designed by Populous, Eppstein Uhen Architects and HNTB, the venue offers incomparable sightlines, customer service, technology and amenities. Fiserv Forum includes 17,341 seats for basketball, 15,178 for hockey and up to 18,000 for concerts, with 34 luxury suites and three clubs. The world-class arena is home to the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks and Marquette University's men's basketball team and was selected to host the 2020 Democratic National Convention and the 2024 Republican National Convention. Fiserv Forum hosts a diverse variety of year-round events, including major concerts, family shows and other sports and entertainment events. Fiserv Forum is the anchor of the surrounding 30-acre Deer District neighborhood, which is Milwaukee's premier location for people to live, work and play. In 2021, Fiserv Forum was awarded LEED Gold Certification for sustainability performance. Founding Partners for Fiserv Forum include Fiserv, BMO, Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin, Johnson Controls, Motorola, Potawatomi Hotel and Casino and Beechwood Sales and Service / Anheuser-Busch. For more information, please visit fiservforum.com.
Contact: Dan Mihalik, Intersport, dmihalik@intersport.global
Anne Pennington, FOX Sports, anne.pennington@fox.com